#that's one of the many things that make these movies appealing to the whole family

[sparkles-rule-4eva]

Tom & Maddie and their babies 💙💛❤️

References under the cut

[mama-qwerty]

Sonic 3 Review

Okay guys, I'm still gonna do some breakdowns of scenes and characters (feel free to keep sending in asks if you have something specific you want my take on), but wanted to get my thoughts on the movie out there.

Keep in mind that I came into Sonic through the movies, and have never played or watched any cut scenes from the older games. I have no idea the actual plot and specific details of any of them, just a vague "this happened in some game or another" in the broadest of senses.

So I didn't come into Sonic 3 with any preconceived ideas about what should be in it regarding Shadow's story. The movieverse is a separate universe (as are all Sonic media, in my mind), so even if there were some things that were different, I took them in correlation with what's been established, or what can be done under the rules and physics of the movie's world building.

Obviously spoilers ahead:

All in all, I found the movie fun, and it told a good story with good characterizations. The action started quickly and kept steady through most of it. We had an exciting introduction to Shadow at the very beginning, when he woke up and chose violence, and it was a good way to start things off.

Yeah, it was a little goofy in some parts, but this is a movie made to appeal to children, so Jeff and Co. couldn't go all into the angst for the whole thing. There were some parts I would have done differently, or omitted entirely, but if you look at the more weird parts of the movie as kind of along the same lines as Boom (especially for the dance number in the laser hallway) you can roll with it.

There were many moments that tugged at your heartstrings, and a few very powerful moments that I've already talked about. There is a much more emotional impact in this one that was missing from the first two, as our boys struggle with their actions and how they affect others. They were all handled very well, with each having a good role to play in the story.

The climax was great, and it was exciting to see Sonic and Shadow working together.

As I said, all in all, a really fun ride and my whole family enjoyed it a lot.

That said, let's look at a few of the points that I see some complaining about, and my take on them.

Not Enough Wachowski Family Moments

Okay, this one I will kinda agree with. We got a teeny peek into their dynamic is a family at the beginning, right before Rockwell showed up to whisk the boys away to clean up their mess. It would have been nice to see them all interacting more, to see how Knux and Tails have fit into this dynamic.

Devil's Advocate - There's only so much screen time available, and we know they're a family. We don't need to be bludgeoned over the head with fluffy scenes of the boys doing chores and having group hugs and all that. It would have slowed the narrative, and in the end, all that would not further reinforce the idea that they've come together as a family any more than their camping trip and celebration for Sonic's "B-Earth-day" already established.

Shadow's Origin Change

In the movieverse, Gerald claims that Shadow came to Earth encased in a meteorite. His energy readings were off the scale, so they took him to a facility to study him. He was not originally created by Gerald, and was simply an alien come to Earth and then taken to be studied.

Devil's Advocate - I have no opinion regarding this change, as the movieverse is different from any other media. They've already altered backstories where they needed, to make things at least somewhat 'realistic' and allow the boys to exist in 'our' world without major complications of Sonic just running around as a child fighting Eggman, and Knuckles being the last of his kind and having thousands of years separating him from his closest ancestors. (Not to mention the size change of the Master Emerald - having one the size of a VW Beetle would have been a little hard to hide or cart around.)

Having Shadow arrive kinda like Stitch is fitting in this version of the Sonic verse, as going into a lengthy explanation of how Gerald could manage to create a space hedgehog from scratch, when Angel Island may or may not exist, would have pushed suspension of disbelief a little much.

Maria's Not Sick

I thought the whole "Gerald takes her with him everywhere" thing for Maria seemed a bit flimsy, especially since she wasn't sick and in need of him to find a cure for her. They were in a super high security facility and there's this girl who's just allowed to wander freely simply because she's the granddaughter of the lead scientist?

I would have liked to see more of the reasoning behind her being there. And more of Maria and Shadow's relationship, especially from Shadow's side.

Devil's Advocate - Despite my comments above, I actually liked that they didn't make Maria's defining factor be her illness. She was a character in her own right, and befriended Shadow out of her own kindness, and not simply because he was created to cure her, and thus they were kinda forced to be together. She reached out immediately, and essentially kidnapped him from his tests to show him how to have fun. She showed him kindness, not because he was supposed to be her 'cure', but because she saw this little boy, all alone, and treated as a thing by the scientists, and took it upon herself to show him that he was more than that.

Too Much Gerald and Eggman Screentime

I will admit that sometimes it did seem like they were focusing a little too much on the Robotniks. We were subjected to a montage of Eggman living out little moments of childhood 'milestones' with Gerald, and that aforementioned dance number in the hallway was reminiscent of the dance battle in the second movie. Kinda silly.

Devil's Advocate - I think these scenes were to delve a little into Ivo's character a bit. It was established in the first one that he was an orphan, and through the second it reinforced the idea that he thought he didn't need anyone. He pushed people away, built his walls, and hid behind his bots. But now that he's faced with an actual blood relative, who seems to want him around, all those walls came down and we saw the hurt little boy within Ivo. This only made it hurt all the more when Gerald turned on him. And damnit, I actually felt bad for Ivo in that moment.

The Master Emerald/Chaos Emeralds

There is some confusion as to how these things worked. At the end of the 2nd movie, Sonic very distinctly sent all the chaos emeralds away. Knuckles reformed the Master Emerald without them. But in this movie, Sonic went Super with the Master Emerald, and somehow the chaos emeralds were still within it.

Devil's Advocate - Yeah, I got nothin'. 😆 Not sure if there was a deleted scene explaining that or something, but it seemed a pretty glaring continuity error.

But, whatevs. We go with it. 'Cause dis is how we roll.

And as an aside WHY DO YOU HATE WADE, JEFF??? Seriously, there were so many other ways to handle that scene, and you did THAT to him?? UUUGGGGHGGHGHGHGHh

Sonic Didn't Call Tom and Maddie "Dad and Mom"

Okay, yeah, I agree with this one. He called Tom 'Dad' at the end of the 2nd, meaning he finally accepted them as his parents. They call themselves a family. And yes, I will accept that he may slip back into their names during lighter times, when it's an emotional scene, he should call them "Mom and Dad". Such as in the cave and when Tom was hurt.

Devil's Advocate - Yeah, no, I can't argue with this. You can't have him call Tom 'Dad' in the last movie and then never touch on that again. The boys didn't even call each other 'brothers', for crying out loud! The perfect place to do that would have been the cornfield, and it was still 'friends'. THEY ARE BROTHERS YOUR HONOR AND TOM AND MADDIE ARE THEIR PARENTS

~~~

I'm not saying the movie was 100% perfect. There were things I found silly, or unnecessary. Things I would have done differently.

But taking a step back and looking at the full picture, and not just the individual brush strokes, it was entertaining, fun, and had more than a few moments that I found really powerful, much more than either of the previous ones did.

I'm excited to see where they go in the next one. Things are really ramping up.

~~~

Check out my other Sonic 3 analysis posts

[veetyuh]

I'm reminded of that "antishipping isn't purity culture because it isn't conservative christianity" post... And I think I've done some unpacking on why it triggers me so much.

I was an intersex child shoved into the role of a female, in a rural & conservative Christian environment. I've had not just purity culture shoved down my throat, but also the shame of not being able to meet the expectations put on women in that environment.

It's not just cover up, slut. That implies I had something to show off, to begin with. And men still want to ogle you and imagine what your body is like beneath that modest dress. So here, literal child. Have this shapewear to make your figure conform to that of a developing middle school female's under your clothes.

It's contradictory that way. You have to try to be unappealing to not 'tempt' men, but you still need to be appealing in the sense of conventional female attractiveness. Moreover, you must not think about men or sex at all. But you cannot be asexual — your parents demand grandchildren.

Antis do the same with their queer representation. It's the same contradictory expectations... They champion the idea of breaking societal norms through queerness (i.e. the idea of 'queer as in fuck you'), then demand that every nuclear family norm be met. Queer characters must be disruptive without actually disrupting anything. And the contradictions apply to fans, too — you're homophobic if you don't like a canon queer ship, and you're fetishistic if you like queer ships too much. (There are more, but I'd be stuck here forever if I listed them all. 😅)

There's also the obvious — fictional sins being as bad as things done in real life. There's Matthew 5, which includes so many popular verses about thought control that Christians use, and equates bad thought to bad doing.

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

And fuck if antis aren't cutting off their entire goddamn arm and gouging out both eyes.

It's not just purity culture they embody, though — it's the satanic panic, too. Good lord the amount of times my grandma wouldn't let me watch Ghost Hunters because she thought I was welcoming demons into the home, or her concern for me watching horror movies because I'd surely become more violent. It's the same shit, different horse.

On a more light-hearted note, they play the same game that Christian demoninations do, too. I was Baptist, and considered the Methodists okay. But the Catholics? No, keep that shit away from me. Why are you worshipping Mary? That's idolatry! How horrible, to openly spit in God's face. When I read antis' DNI lists rattling off forbidden, unredeemable fandoms, it feels the same way, haha.

But what really seals the deal for me is how they smile in your face and promise they're just looking out for you. Christians do that, too. "We want you to get better. We want to help you. You're on a dark path." While they break your bones to force you into their mold. You may not be hurting anyone on your dark path, but they'll convince you that you ARE. You're hurting yourself "spiritually," you're hurting the community, your family, by being an abomination to God. You're hurting everyone and yourself, you just need us to help you realize it. Antis feel the exact same. I block them pre-emptively because I cannot handle having that shit directed at me again.

Moreover, their insults feel the same. The childish "icky," the ad hominems. It's too reminiscent for me. Of my mom hating my icky facial hair and my classmates making fun of my masc traits when they thought I couldn't hear; you are a gross person!!1! Ew!!!

It's funny that antis are so often anti-kink, considering they're so fucking intent on giving me a golden shower and telling me it's rain. I hope they're careful not to choke on the homophobic, pedophilic pastor cock they're sucking.

[moderninfatuation]

hello! :) feel free to ignore this ask if it doesn't suit you!

i'm wondering if you can write male!reader x ethan winters, where they are inside their home duringna tough storm, cuddling on the couch with the TV on. make it with extra fluff please! thank you, and have a nice day!

note: oh my god i love ethan. im gonna be honest: i debated making this blog ethan-centric simply because i think there isnt nearly enough x reader content featuring him :( thats THE man, THE guy and i wish he got as much attention as other characters from the series. (sorry for gushing, it will happen again)

the only issue with this is that it is mostly gender neutral except for maybe 2 instances - i hope that's alright, its definitely something i need to work on, because i didnt see many opportunities to push gendered writing in this one.

you have a nice day as well! im glad i can finally write, i need more weekends :')

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Movie Night

character: Ethan Winters

tags: sfw, male!reader, married, horror movies, sleepy, domestic, thunderstorm

word count: 1182

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The world was just beginning to fade into a hazy blur of warmth and background noise coming from the TV before the rumble of thunder outside your family home brutally snaps you back into your current time. 

You shift below the blanket you and your husband like to share to snuggle up closer to him, hand in hand with your arm pressing against his until each of you notice how warm the other is. He begins to dip his head until you can feel him resting against your shoulder, and his scarred, unoccupied hand begins to wander below the blanket until it finally rests on your thigh. “It’s not too scary, is it?” he whispers to you, certainly not referencing the storm roaring outside. The branches knocking against your window and the rustling of leaves rustling over your yard couldn’t bother Ethan less as long as he knows you’re home and holding onto his hand.

He seems more so interested in the cheap horror-flick the both of you chose for tonight’s movie night. Despite the questionable and outdated special effects, you can see his body do little twitches and sharp intakes of breath whenever an actor is jumpscared along with the audience, reaching for the popcorn bowl in his lap so he has something to hold except for you. While his eyes were glued to the screen with his knuckles resting against his lips in a subconscious effort to soothe himself, you couldn’t help but drift off a little. Your eyelids are heavy after a long day of work, and napping against your partner would’ve been a dream come true if it weren’t for the ongoing thunderstorm. Lightning strikes once more outside, close enough to be audible, and not long after you finally muster up the energy to respond with “No, it’s alright, love…”. Truth is, the both of you enjoy trashy movies, even more so if they’re meant to scare you but end up making you laugh instead. You’ve only been so quiet because you’re actively fighting the urge to fall asleep against Ethan, especially now that his head is on your shoulder. 

Right next to your ear, Ethan hums in response. “I don’t know about you, but… this movie isn’t it.” He begins to mumble, shuffling closer to you on the couch, if that is even possible. By now, there is a whole third of the couch unused. “I don’t know… I guess B-class acting lost its appeal.” He explains, huffing out a little laugh at his own comment. You respond with an affirmative hum of your own. Before you can react, his face is buried in the crook of your neck, his cold nose pressed against your skin. Another minor detail to keep you awake, just what you need.

His hands begin to wander again, bumps moving across the blanket where his hands glide until you finally feel one of his palms on your stomach, then both of them wrapped around your waist in a loose hug. The wind howls loud enough to be heard over the TV by now - good thing you have a DVD player. The both of you could’ve gone to bed right away tonight if you relied on streaming services; the internet bid its goodbyes an hour ago, not long after the rain started. You probably wouldn’t have noticed if it weren’t for Ethan’s curses coming from his home office. No emails, no text messages, and there haven’t been any calls either. It really is just the two of you, now that Ethan’s boss can’t nag him.

“I’m getting tired, handsome…” he finally admits, and you can feel a smile stretching his lips right against your skin. Here, he feels safest, and you do too. “I’m not sure if I can last much longer. You?” You only respond with another hum, shrugging as far as Ethan’s body allows you. “Alright.” he whispers in response. “Let’s just… try to finish the movie. If we can’t, we’ll continue tomorrow.” You could also just go to bed right away, but it is way too comfortable to stand up right now, and the both of you are well aware. It feels like Ethan only wants to finish the movie tonight to have an excuse to stay pressed against you, to spend time with you… not that you mind.

A scream comes from the TV’s speakers, which has been happily babbling by itself for the past few minutes. “Thank god, finally.” Ethan breathes out as both of your heads turn towards the screen, eyes still drowsy. “I knew it. I’ve been waiting for this fucker to get offed since the beginning of the movie… christ he was annoying.” He says, partially muffled by the blanket around you two as the annoying character in question gushes bright red on screen, spraying and splattering in ways only liters of fake blood can. “Not sure why this guy is a fan favorite. His decisions are nonsensical, and now that things get serious, he runs? Yeah, great. leave the group behind. Way to go, dumbass.” While you can’t help but find your spouse’s half-hearted complaints and sass endearing, you’re too tired to respond by now. You only smile in response, readjusting your arm so it's wrapped around Ethan now, your hand close to his hip. You adjust the blanket so it covers his legs properly before you close your eyes, letting the dialogue and gentle buzz from the TV together with the rain pattering against your window take you under. The last thing you notice is Ethan’s wedding ring gleaming in the light coming from the screen.

It doesn’t take long for him to catch onto it. He chuckles as the movie’s hero almost comically fails to escape in every possible way, and as he turns to see your reaction, he finds your eyes closed instead and your lips curved in a satisfied smile. He lowers the TV’s volume and puts the remote and empty popcorn bowl down on the couch table as quietly as he can before getting himself more comfortable. He kisses your forehead goodnight, his cold lips barely grazing your skin to avoid waking you before he slides lower on the couch, curled up against your side with his face almost completely hidden by the blanket draped over the two of you. 

The credits begin to roll as only your soft snores and the rain can be heard. It’s dark by now, and if it weren’t for the people listed in the credits and the occasional car driving through the mud outside, Ethan could swear you’re the only people in the world right now. It doesn’t take long for him to fall asleep, counting sheep replaced by the TV counting down the seconds in a little pop-up to know when it will shut itself off to save energy.

If it were up to him, he’d spend all day pressed up against his man like this, soaking up the heat emanating from his body and listening to his breathing slow down, overshadowed by the rain and Ethan’s own pulse in his ears.

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[tamsinswriting]

Free Fanfiction Idea to Good Home

Howzit All

As anyone who knows me knows that I have a ton of fanfiction and other writing ideas and that I try to work on as many as I possibly can (currently sitting at 18--3 gifts, 1 Coco fanfic, 4 Star Wars fanfics, 2 TMNT 2003 fanfics, 4 Good Omens fanfics, 4 Original stories)

The problem?

I've had 7 more Good Omens fanfiction ideas that I'm forcing myself not to work on, but they're taking up too much headspace.

So, I thought that I'd share them here, in case anyone feels like taking a crack at writing them. That's not to say I won't pick them up later when some of these are off my plate, but it won't be for a while.

If any of these appeal to you, please let me know (and tag me if you write them!)

Perfume AU. (Either human or as angels and demons)

One of the Ineffables is convinced that the ordinary perfume they made is actually a love potion so they believe that all the romance coming from the other one is fake or a compulsion. (It's real, they're just being daft)

2. A Wedding Date AU

Inspired by the movie with Deborah Messing in 2005, Aziraphale is heading home to England for his brother, Gabriel's, wedding. He decides that, rather than face his family alone, he'll hire Crowley, the escourt, to be his boyfriend. (I saw similarities between Gabriel and Kat's sister in the movie, which is why Aziraphale is Kat and Crowley is Nick, though I probably would change the plot so there's no "win back the ex"

3. Marry Me AU

I heard about a movie with J-Lo, where she is a famous singer who plans to get married on stage in front of the world. But, before she says her vows, she finds out that her fiancé is cheating on her. So, she sees Owen Wilson's character in the crowd holding a "marry me" sign (he's not a fan, his friend forced him to go to the concert) and says "yes" so they get married. This sounds like an Ineffables human AU to me . . .

4. Fae Au

One of the Ineffables does a ritual where they end up married to a Fae (they had no idea that's what the ritual was supposed to do). The Fae Ineffable is, however, bound to the Fae court and has to either get the human's true name to enslave them or make them fall in love and break their heart to amuse their ruler. They end up falling for the human.

5. Arranged Marriage AU.

One of the Ineffables is fed up with dating and being alone, so they hire an matchmaker to facilitate an arranged marriage (which are done for many reasons by the company, from hiding your sexuality to getting tax benefits). They end up married to the other Ineffable. Could be Strangers to Lovers or Enemies to lovers. Lot's of pining, though.

6. Reverse Female Omens.

Aziraphale is a female demon posted on Earth while Crowley is a female Archangel. Crowley tried to reach out when the whole "Flood" thing was happening, but the demon wasn't interested (Aziraphale wanted to be friends, but Hell commended her for trying to get an Archangel to Fall and so she rejected Crowley's friendship in case it happened) But now Armageddon is approaching and the two might have to work together to avoid it.

7. Blood and Chocolate AU

Loosely inspired by the movie (I didn't really like the book). Aziraphale is a werewolf and his pack (led by Gabriel (yes, the movie character had the same name)) is pressurising him to take a female mate, despite knowing he is gay, as they believe his bloodline is powerful. He's trying to avoid the problem as much as possible. Crowley is a monster hunter who had ended up in Aziraphale's city looking for werewolves. They meet, but don't realise that the one is a monster and the other is a monster hunter.

There they are: the ideas that are brewing in my head. As I mentioned, if anyone wants to write them,. please feel free. Just tag me so I can read them (and, if you don't want to write, please reblog so these ideas can find someone to write them.)

[cybertron-smash-or-pass]

I mean yeah voice actors voices are hot but also like in appearance

Corey Burton is a cutie

You know what, that's valid

You must go on a vision quest to see what the MCU is blind to (and by that I mean go find one (1) weird indie movie youve never heard of and watch the whole thing). Then you will be cleaned of your corporate media sins (/lh)

Oh good, I get to talk about this dumbass show (beloved)

RiD 01 as a whole is a SILLY fuckin show. Like they took the sillygoofy nature of g1 and went "bet," then cranked it 10 times higher. G1 still had its somber moments. Character work. Genuinely threatening and downright cruel villains. RiD 01 has occasional complex characters, but 90% of the time, this show is a fairly low-stakes comedy that's going full camp.

The autobots are dysfunctional and just straight up weird. Three of them are brothers, and it's not a trio anyone would EVER expect. Prowl is a fucking narc. Brawn is here but he's named X-Brawn bc I guess he had to get that Xtreme rebrand for the 2000s. He's also closer to Ironhide than anything, complete with the Texas accent. Their other brother is named Sideburn, he's the bumblebee equivalent as the Designated Kid Appeal Character, but he's also, and I shit you not, a sex pest about red sports cars. Not just bots with sports car alts. Any red sports car. He will drop everything to go chase a sexy red car and he catcalls it the whole time. The TFA constructicons have NOTHING on this guy. He gets so aggressively horny on main his narc-ass cop brother has to arrest him for it.

Optimus is here, and he's got his own family trouble. He has a brother too, and it's fucking Ultra Magnus. Magnus hates his guts because OP got chosen as Autobot leader and he didn't. At one point they find a cache of blank protoforms, Megatron gets to it first, and has one of them scan both himself and Optimus when he comes online, which results in Scourge, my lameass emo boyfriend i was defending through the whole Scourge War. He's literally just, like, Their Kid and he fucking hates his autobot dad so he lives with Megatron instead to try and make him proud of how Evil and Competent he is.

Megatron has like. Too many altmodes. Just too many. One of them sort of kind of counts as a sports car, that is partially red, Sideburn gets horny about it. Finding out it was Megatron did not stop him for asking for a date. Canon bisexual before IDW, even in the English dub.

The main villains serving Megatron are the predacons and they're about as threatening as team rocket and roughly half as competent. One of them is a squirrel voiced by Steve Blum. The second in command is SkyByte and he's so fucking bad at being evil. He writes poetry (which Optimus roasts the shit out of). He takes online personality quizzes and then gets legitimately upset if he doesn't get the results he wants. This was the plot of an entire episode. He has a crush on Megatron and fantasizes about doing a good job for him. He doesn't like scourge because he thinks he's Meg's new favorite. He does circus tricks on command. He has a soft spot for kids and he was so nice to them while actively trying to be evil that he ended up with a fanbase in-universe that followed him around and encouraged him to be a good guy. He is the EPITOME of a skrunkly little loser boyfailure AND he's a shark. What more could you ask for.

This is not even a quarter of the insane shit that happens in this show. It has NO chill, ever. If you want to see pure, unbridled chaos from robots that are usually at least a little more serious and intense, I literally cannot rec it enough. A lot of hot robots too, tbh. The things id do to Midnight Express...

Beeussy

[makethatelevenrings]

The Sun, Moon, and Stars // D. Grayson x gn! reader

Requested? Yes!

Warnings: mentions of a strip club, sliiiight panic attack

Summary: part of assassin!verse Jason needs help with a mission and enlists you to go undercover at a strip club, but it makes bad memories boil to the surface. Dick pulls you out and makes sure you know just how loved you are.

It was fine. You were fine.

You repeated the words over and over to yourself in some desperate prayer that it would come true and your breathing would go back to normal instead of the hitched, choking spurts of air that kept escaping you. It had been fine. Truly.

This was a fact finding mission that Jason enlisted your help in because he needed someone to go undercover as a server and the club was in Bludhaven. Dick hadn’t liked the idea of sending you into a strip club because, while you were trained, you weren’t trained for espionage or covert operations. You were trained to hide amongst buildings, not people. Your usual uniform was all black head to toe so you could blend in with the shadows, not the stringy and sparkly number Jason had procured.

Jason and Dick were both in your ears thanks to the comms that hid within your ear canal from view. Jason kept giving instructions, pointing out who you needed to talk to and who to avoid, while Dick kept quiet aside from the occasional remarks that kept you level headed.

But then you started to realize how many eyes were on you and you blanched. You were used to being invisible, damnit. Your skill set wasn’t dependent on how you looked but how you moved and apparently, the less than legal underground of Bludhaven found you both appealing to look at because of how you looked and how you moved.

It was like they were admiring a good steak or some other kind of meat instead of a body and for a moment, you were back in that cage as your handlers displayed you to some investors, discussing your worth in the value of monetary budgets and kill counts. You grit your teeth and shut your eyes, pushing back the memory and locking it into the vault of things to address later. You needed to focus. You couldn’t fuck this up. Not when Jason relied on you. Not when the people he was working to help needed you.

“Buttercup,” Dick’s low, smooth voice came over the comm line and you inhaled deeply at the sound of his voice and the affectionate nickname he had taken to calling you after you expressed your love for that damned movie he showed you. Opening your eyes, you took in the glaring lights and vibrating bass that shook the walls. It was fine.

“I’m okay,” you whispered. “Just had a moment.”

“Okay,” Dick announced. “I’m pulling it. Buttercup, get out of there. I’ll meet you in the alley on the left side of the building.”

“‘Wing-” Jason started to protest.

“No. Ask Artemis or Roy or fucking, I don’t know, Kyle. I knew this was a bad idea from the start.”

Jason huffed but relented, hearing the hard edge to Dick’s voice. The whole family understood that you were and always would be Dick’s main priority. If he put his foot down when it came to you, they knew to immediately back off.

You stumbled out of the club and into the icy night air, grateful for a reprieve from the constant onslaught of sensations. Spinning on your heels, you sped towards the alley Dick said he would be in and immediately deflated when you saw the familiar kevlar-spandex weave come into view.

Dick reached up and plucked your comms out of your ear before pocketing it. He studied your face for a brief moment and then he held his hand out for you to take. You knew what to expect and you shut your eyes as soon as your skin met his glove, because he swept you into a tight hold and then directed his grappling line towards your shared apartment. You didn’t open your eyes until your feet landed on solid ground and you found yourself on your fire escape.

Pushing open the window, you smiled softly at the sight of Haley curled on the couch awaiting your arrival. The little dog cracked one eye open and then yipped in excitement when she saw her favorite people. You slid into the apartment and scooped her up in your arms, both using her as a way to gain cuddles, but also as a defense mechanism.

Waiting until the window was closed, you turned to face Dick and sighed. You pressed your face against Haley’s soft fur and peeked out at him from over her wriggling body.

“I’m sorry,” you said. “I just…I messed up. I’m sorry for ruining the mission.”

“No, I’m sorry,” he immediately shot back. “I should have said no to Jason. I shouldn’t have put you in that position.”

You shook your head and finally let Haley down so she could run to her other favorite person in the world. Dick accepted her sweet kisses against his fingers and then he stood, stripping off his gloves and heading for the bedroom. He beckoned for you to follow and you nervously stood in the doorway as he began to remove the Nightwing suit.

“Dick, you can’t just hide me in this apartment forever. I…I want to help, but I just…” You trailed off, unable to verbalize your shame at your fuckup. Dick immediately stopped removing his armor and instead moved to stand in front of you. His hands came up to grasp your shoulders and you melted into his touch. Tilting forward, you pressed your forehead against his shoulder and let out a shuddering breath.

“I was just a thing to them. Just something to admire and pet. I was a tool again. I wasn’t…I wasn’t a person. I didn’t have worth outside of what they determined.”

His lips pressed against your temple and he enfolded you into a hug. “But you’re worth everything. They don’t see that and the bastards who took you never saw that. You’re worth fucking everything, Buttercup, don’t you ever forget that.”

“You won’t ever let me forget it,” you joked and he chuckled, soft breath wafting over your cheek. Standing there, in your room, in his arms, you felt wanted. You felt loved.

“C’mon, let’s get out of these clothes, take a shower, into pajamas and then…” He left the ending of his sentence up to you and you tilted your head up so you could beam up at him.

“And then we watch Love is Blind?”

“I’m going to kill Cass for introducing that show to you, but yeah.”

You fiddled with the collar of his under armor and he nudged his nose against your temple, encouraging you to talk. Dick was always patient when you struggled to express your wants. It wasn’t something that you were trained to do. The Wayne family always pressed you to say what you wanted to do or eat or listen to and they always tried to ensure those wants were carried out.

“We could bake some cookies?” You asked it so shyly that his heart ached. He wanted to give you the whole world along with the sun and the stars, if you so desired it. No one should feel timid about asking for some fucking cookies. In fact, his blood damn near boiled when he thought about how you didn’t even know what a cookie was when Alfred made some the first week you were at the Manor.

“As you wish,” he murmured against your hair. Maybe you didn’t want the sun and the stars, but he could certainly get you cookies if that’s what you wanted.

Tag List: @someoneimsure​ @perpetual-fangirl900​ @visagebrise​ @cursedandromedablack​ @alexxavicry​ @the-wayward-daughter​ @raging-trash-of-mind​ @bunny-kawa​ @khaylin27​

[wowa-bublord]

Who out of AGSZC likes unicorns the most? Who do unicorns like the most out of them? Since you have the last unicorn on your page, I figured you might know <3

HI. I DO KNOW!!! Sephiroth, 6.5/10 I think Sephiroth would relate to the last unicorn, actually haha, the feelings of isolation and her struggles with being unable to relate to the others around her, and the search for her family/the rest of her people. HE GETS HER!!!

unicorns in general, I think he would like the idea of them and feel a connection to them but he probably wouldn't have much exposure to their stories like a normal kid was, with Hojos whole... everything. I think he would want to watch MLP but he'd feel a lot of shame for liking anything seen as childish even on his own. In a happier world he's unicorns #1 fan, but I don't see them occupying a lot of his thoughts Angeal, 4/10 He would think the last unicorn; the movie was weird haha but I don't think he'd hate it, more just confused on why everything in it has boobs. Why does the bird have titties. Why does the tree have masive honkers. Zack you said this was PG. DID THAT BIRD JUST RIP A WOMAN APART WHILE SHE WAS STILL ALIVE. I don't think he'd dislike unicorns in any way but he also wouldn't find much appeal in them. Genesis. 8/10 He would love more.. like classic, refined imagery of them? Unicorns have a lot of roots in religious imagery which I think would connect with him. Particularly he'd like the last unicorn book, and not as much the movie, he wouldn't hate the movie but he'd be annoyed with how it doesn't incorporate everything from the novel 100% correctly LOL (he's pretentious.) 2 points knocked off because he would tease someone for liking more childish versions of unicorns like MLP LOL (he makes a distinction between his own tastes and 'simpler' ones out of insecurity. 'Yes I like unicorns but I'm not CHILDISH about it I'm REFINED and FANCY'. He doesn't want to be made fun of himself lolol) Zack, 5/10 Like Angeal, he doesn't have a dislike for unicorns, but he wouldn't feel too connected to their imagery or visuals. However, unlike Angeal, he would think the movies were AWESOME for giving so many things titties. Hell yeah bird lady, rip that creep apart! Cloud, 6/10 He would like unicorns as a kid, pre-Shinra. But he wouldn't want to ever show it, since he wouldn't want to be made fun of. I think he'd have a positive association with them because he'd play with Tifa and her toys as a little kid. However, at some point as a pre-teen he tries to separate himself from any interest that isn't cool, wanting to streamline himself into a version he thinks people would like more. It doesn't really work. (without realizing it, though, its very similar to his hero.) Post-nibelheim, he doesn't remember he ever had an interest in them. AS FOR WHICH OF THEM THE UNICORNS WOULD LIKE MORE... If we're going for the pure of heart myth, Zack and Cloud would get highest points- just since they're 16 and 14/15? And they've been to the least war. If we're going for the 'virgin woman' myth. Sephiroth.

[sassylittlecanary]

Superman (1978) and the Female Gaze

In honor of Superman’s 85th birthday, I got to see the 1978 movie in theaters (!!!) and I realized how much it appeals to the female gaze, which I would NOT have expected for a male-led superhero movie from the 70s.

To elaborate:

I’ve always cringed a little at Lois’ cheesy voiceover during the flying sequence, but I realized it’s actually a whole scene from Lois’ perspective. It gets in her head and explores her thoughts and feelings. It doesn’t portray her as “Superman’s girlfriend” from his perspective, focused on his viewpoint. The entire scene is Superman from Lois’ perspective.

Even the cinematography (especially in that scene but also throughout the movie) caters to the female gaze. There’s so much focus on their hands — Lois and Superman holding hands, Superman gently cradling her face, etc. There’s a focus on eye contact, on body language. Superman’s muscles aren’t emphasized — instead the camera lingers on his eyes and his smile. Through the visuals, both leads are very humanized instead of gratuitously sexualized like many superhero movies ever since.

Also, Christopher Reeve’s Superman emerges as such an unexpected example of positive masculinity. In the late 70s, Family Feud’s host was kissing every female contestant on his show, consent be damned. ERA and the feminist movement were losing ground to the New Right. The macho male hero was already a staple thanks to characters like James Bond and advertising campaigns like the Marlboro Man. Men Were Manly.

In contrast, while Superman is held up as a quintessential “manly male protagonist” admired by many, he very pointedly does not fall into the action hero male power fantasy stereotype of “I’m a tough macho man who affirms my masculinity by harassing and sleeping with lots of women and who expresses emotions by hitting things and yelling at people. Wow look at me punch things and shoot guns! I’m so strong!” Instead, he’s always gentle. He smiles brightly, he laughs, he cracks jokes, he waves as he flies off. He’s a huge guy, but he’s not intimidating unless he wants to be because he’s just so kind and down-to-earth. He’s much more in line with a stereotypically feminine fantasy of a “kind, respectful, warm guy who makes me laugh” rather than the male power fantasy more common in this genre.

There’s also the way female characters are treated. Lois is Superman’s love interest, but she’s also more than that. She’s her own character with her own voice. She’s a tough, snarky, take-charge, no-nonsense, competent career woman who goes after what she wants fiercely. She grouches and rants with her signature attitude, and Clark just stands there smiling at her because he thinks she’s amazing exactly as she is. It’s the fantasy of an independent woman with traditionally “unfeminine” traits who’s loved and celebrated for being herself. Clark doesn’t want to tame her — he adores her and supports her.

In addition, Miss Teschmacher is stereotyped as the villain’s “sexy but a bit dumb” girlfriend/sidekick, yet she’s still allowed some depth. Superman’s treatment of her stood out to me because this woman has helped Luthor endanger innocent people and nearly kill Superman himself, yet he’s still kind and respectful toward her. Because he always treats women like that, no matter who they are or what they’ve done to him. She wistfully says “Why can’t I ever get it on with a good guy?” instead of a toxic one, and he touches her face tenderly and gives her a reassuring smile. He has compassion for her, as well as hope that her life will improve.

There’s also the climax. There really isn’t much violence (it’s all natural disaster stuff). The whole “hero does something dramatic to save his love interest” is a time-honored action movie cliche, but this feels different somehow. It feels more like the climax of a romance movie than an action movie in some ways. Maybe it is, again, the focus on tenderness. On the way Superman cradles Lois’ dead body so gently and then cries. On the way he allows himself to feel, to express his emotions, instead of heading out to punch something as an outlet for his grief. Lois isn’t a love interest to be won — she’s a person to be cherished, which is 100% consistent with the female gaze.

Just, 👏 THE FEMALE GAZE AND POSITIVE MASCULINITY Y’ALL 👏

[smitingthewicked]

(little excerpt about hellfire's lyricism from the essay on religion in media I wrote for class)

‎

But there are times when the secular world of modern music and the powerful tradition of religious music intertwine and create something, both removed from, and nonexistent without, the sacred.

Committed to their image as a clean, family-friendly media conglomerate, Disney has long put to rest its raunchier subject material. No more drinking, no more smoking, no more violence. Every movie is smoothed into an edgeless ball of mediocrity, devoid of anything deemed even mildly offensive, all in an attempt to appeal to every demographic possible. Every song is designed to be an earworm, and most don’t mean to convey anything but a desire to sell dolls and CDs.

Then, there was that one time where they adapted one of the most infamous pieces of gothic literature into a movie for children.

Walt Disney Studios’ take on The Hunchback of Notre Dame remains one of my favorites. For as much as people dislike its darkness and lack of child-friendly themes, for as many stories I’ve heard of parents pulling their children out of the theater during its initial release, I will never stop believing that it’s the best in Disney’s repertoire.

And, of course, what would The Hunchback of Notre Dame be without Hellfire?

Including its prelude and thematic opposite (Heaven’s Light, which I will not include in this essay as I fear the length already), Hellfire, at just five minutes and twenty two seconds, stands of one of the most memorable moments in musical history. It is, in my own opinion, the crowning jewel of the film and encapsulates every aspect of what makes Hunchback so controversially masterful.

There is no doubt that Hellfire- and the film as a whole- are indirect forms of religious expression. Devoid of the usual pandering and ingratiating aspects of Christian animated media, it not only succeeds in displaying the benevolent, hopeful side of religion, but excels in its evils as well.

As the dreamy, soft-edged melody of Heaven’s Light fades into the sound of church bells, the song is taken from a gentle allegory of love as paradise to the echoes of Latin chants against stone walls. Here, the hopefulness of Quasimodo’s ballad is sent through a hazy mist of prayers and resurfaces in a rising anxiety.

Claude Frollo (originally an archdeacon, but a judge in this particular version) begins his own song by beseeching Mary. To confront the holy virgin, the sinless mother of God herself, with his temptations, to turn to an immortal woman as an escape from one of flesh and blood. He denies, and then he bargains, and then he denies again. Frollo’s cognitive dissonance from the image of superiority he projects onto others versus his struggles with the moral inferiority he feels within himself, which have been building since the very first minutes of the film, reach their narrative peak here as he ultimately refuses himself capable of sin.

His obsession with his own damnation and his deflection of personal responsibility chase him throughout the song as he faces an imaginary court of hooded monks. The echoes of Latin- the language of Catholicism, as if the church itself is judging him- counteract every desperate claim he makes: “It’s not my fault // (mea culpa)”, which directly translates to “my fault”.

Even the symbolism of fire itself is a double-edged sword. In the context of Christianity, fire both represents pain, suffering in Hell- and cleansing, purification. Frollo’s own struggle with sin, as represented by fire, is complimented by a desire to purify himself of his lust by burning its source. In a literal and figurative sense, he weaponizes his own fear against others- he both resents AND wields the very thing that destroys him. After all, whether fire is hellish or purifying, it still burns.

The song closes with Frollo’s leitmotif, a chorus of “Kyrie Eleison”, an older Greek prayer that roughly translates to “Lord Have Mercy”, and he collapses.

Hellfire, fraught with heavy symbolism, intertwined with such a controversial character, not only represents Catholicism, but some of its darkest consequences as well. A pure revelation of the sacred through creation.

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

https://www.tumblr.com/ecoterrorist-katara/743680863675580416?source=share

I know that you have already talked about the "female gaze" more than once, but what do you say about this?

Let's get the easier parts out of the way:

1 - The showrunners consider Aang the angel on Katara's shoulder on The Southern Raiders because Avatar is a kids show and the moral of the episode was "Hey, kids, even if you ever meet a truly horrible person don't immediately respond with violence, it could backfire horribly or push you to do something you'd regret later" not because they think she's an object that Aang gets to posses and control - hence them having Aang give her advice on what to do, but not try to prevent her from leaving nor judging her for not forgiving her mother's killer.

2 - Katara's point was NOT central to Zuko in that episode, at least not at first. By the end of the episode he understood and felt compassion for her and her family, but at the start he was only looking for a cheat-code to make Katara stop hating him because it reminded him of his screw ups. It was Zuko being entitled and trying to avoid consequences.

3 - "This thing is like the PLATONIC version of a thing that sometimes happens in romance" If it's platonic (you said it, not me) then it's not a "win" for your OTP. Zuko and Iroh's falling out after Ba Sing Se has lots of dramatic, super intense and heartbreaking moments, just like romances do - but their storyline is obviously not a romance and they are explicitly treated by the narrative as father and son.

4 - "Katara isn't hiding any side of her personality from Zuko" Katara doesn't hide any side of her personality for ANYONE - family, friends, rivals, enemies, strangers. Highlighing that she is herself with Zuko is pointless because she is herself with everyone, including people she does not like, which was the category Zuko fit into at the moment.

Now, onto yet another absurdly long take by this annoyed feminist that has had enough to the "Male Gaze VS Female Gaze" bullshit.

(Check this previous post before reading the rant in case you don't know these terms or what they mean/were supposed to mean)

Zutarians gotta learn that just because a trope is popular, that doesn't mean it is present in every story, and that NO TROPE appeals to a whole group of people, no matter how much they keep insisting that their ship is the "female gaze" - like that thing could ever even exist.

To give a practical exemple so people understand what I mean: Imagine that a woman wrote screenplay about a lesbian romance, which is then filmed by a female director, and edited by a woman. The actresses playing the lead roles also have their own perspective on the story and characters. The movie is then shown to 200 women, every single one of them has their own opinion on it.

Which of the women I mentioned above is going to speak FOR HER ENTIRE GENDER, and decide if that romance fits "the female gaze"? Do we take a survey and whatever points are repeated the most are taken as objectively correct due to being how the majority feels, and thus any differing opinion is treated as lesser and "not what women like" regardless of how many women feel that way? Do we only listen to the proffessional criticts in that audience of women and completely disregard the opinion of any woman that didn't study anything regarding cinema and writting?

Even if somehow it is decided that the movie fits into the "female gaze" - if all those women rewatch the movie years later and some of them feel differently about it, would that affect the definition? If their grand-daughters watch it 50 years later and don't agree with their grandmother's takes on it, does the definition change? If the movie is shown to other groups of women, from different countries, and they all have their own opinion on it that is radically different from that of the first group, which group of women gets to say "OUR culture's way of interpreting this story is the TRUE way women feel about it, everyone else doesn't count"?

If the movie is then shown to 200 men and they all like it, does that turn it from "female gaze" to "unisex gaze"? Does it become "Male Gaze" if the guys get aroused by it, even if the movie was designed to appeal to women and not to them AND there was no exploitation involved? If the 200 women then watch a movie that has scenes that are considered as having been made to appeal to guys, but some or all of them ALSO enjoy it (story of my life), does that make it change from "male gaze" to "Female Gaze"?

Gender is simply ONE out of many, many, many things that can impact how one views fiction - and it doesn't exist in isolation, being affected by generation, culture, language, religion, class, etc. The "Female Gaze" doesn't exist. It CAN'T exist because humans are more complicated than that. It is a concept that is almost fully divorced from reality.

Also I can't help but notice that, because of the way these terms work in the assumption of absolutes, no room for nuance, "MALE Gaze" is meant to describe lazy writting/film-making that is sexist towards women and cases of full on exploitation and abuse in which men were the abusers, and sometimes the label even gets attached to harmless things as a form of bad faith criticism just because guys like it - but "FEMALE Gaze" is NOT about lazy writting/film-making that is sexist towards men (say stories that full on say that a guy hitting a woman is bad, but a woman hitting a man is funny, or using "guys always want it" as justification for scenes of female characters forcing themselves on the male characters).

Instead, Female Gaze is meant to either neutral or POSITIVE. "This appeals to women" is used for praise, "this appeals to men" is used as criticism. Women are harmless, men are dangerous. Women are helpless victims, men are evil abusers. Women need to be protected and put on pedestal, men need to be hated and feared. Female desire is inherently pure, male desire is inherently objectifying. And, of course, any woman that disagrees is bad and a traitor and needs to be "called out for being anti-feminist" (aka be condescended to or full on attacked).

This is sexism, pure and simple. Anyone can be a victim, anyone can be an abuser. Anyone can like any kind of story, trope, genre, ship, etc. Desire is a morally neutral thing, and it doesn't become "pure" or "inherently corrupt" depending on the gender of the person who feels it.

The "Male Gaze VS Female Gaze" thing is nonsensical at best and perpetuates a dangerous double standard at worse, and I'm so fucking tired of it never being questioned because people are afraid of being labelled misogynistic.

[isanaakira]

Guys Ive been so busy with school and life I've barely had time to actually sit down and enjoy TV or a movie and it's disheartening to be honest.

I have however been reading Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. When I tell you I am obsessed, I am obsessed. I have been reading it slowly to enjoy it since I read it on my way to school. So I just read a few pages here and there just so I can have something to read for a good while. It is soooo good though. I finished book one and I'm on book two chapter 2 currently.

Something that I enjoy is reading the descriptions of the characters and they literally match the cast of the movies. I was like damn they did so fucking good in that part and I love it. Imma be honest as well, I think they did good in capturing the books story in the movie. Apart from being a book enthusiast I also like watching movies. I don't go heavily into them like I want sometimes or like others (absolutely no hate because your guys breakdowns help me love something even more) but I do enjoy the storyline of the movies. It makes sense they did it that way because something I think many people forget is that not everyone reads the books or likes to read. So sometimes they have to do things a certain way to not only appeal to the book readers but the audience that has not read the books. On top of that budgets and stuff. And sometimes writers sometimes just like to write a whole new idea based off a book which is kinda how we like to make fan art and fan fic. Don't get me wrong, yeah it would be so fucking great to have it exactly like the books, but I also appreciate the story telling of the movies.

I'm sorry if I kind of got side tracked. It's just I sometimes get the movie watchers perspective cuz my family doesn't like to read, but they love a ton of movies based on books. So maybe I'm biased 🤷.

But besides that, I am going to continue reading these books for the first time and enjoying the heck out of them. Apart from Lord of the Rings I'm also reading Percy Jackson and currently looking to read something else.

Anyways, stay safe out there. Have a good day 😁 and enjoy your hobbies. Love y'all.

[daydreaming-scheming-demon]

i hate mainstream appeal, or at least an extreme and intentional amount of it. actually, hate isnt a strong enough word. despise. absolutely fucking despise.

so many companies just do not care for experimentation, and whenever they do the experimentation is barely anything. i see this in so much stuff, in how cgi and specifically certain styles of cgi has taken over cinema to the point where the few 2d animated films, especially the western 2d animated films, just dont do as well, even when they're popular IPs, because cgi has become standard. it aint an animated film if it aint cgi.

and not just cgi, but a very specific style of cgi. you see it in everything. it started with toy story, when toy story did it, it was great. it was original. it was actually trying something new. but then they kept doing it, and then every studio joined in when they realized it was cheaper. not just cgi but a specific style of cgi, not necessarily even the cheapest style, just a very mainstream one. i see it in encanto, in turning red, in inside out. dont get me wrong, i dont think this style is bad or that these movies dont still have unique aspects of their style, but you cant deny the similarities, and more importantly, the reason for those similarities, that being a need to appeal to the mainstream.

and it's annoying, and it bleeds into the story too, into the characters. they never pass a certain boundary, trying to stay firmly away from controversy, within the confines of family friendliness and a mainstream understanding of concepts. and this is restricting in some serious ways. to clarify, i do not want them to swear, i do not even want them to show blood or a whole lot that would get labelled as too mature for children. i just want them to not shy away from vaguely controversial things, to not be afraid of issues beyond a mainstream understanding, and to not cater to such a simplistic and common worldview so dramatically.

one of the things that makes stories, and media in general, so special to me, is their unique perspectives. i see this a lot in indie projects, and the contrast between them and big budget hollywood films is startling. i get a feel for such unique individual perspectives in indie projects, even the bad ones, and i guess that's what happens when the team is smaller or it's mostly only one person working on the project, because we're all unique, im sure even the individuals who make up the mainstream audience have unique perspectives, but that just doesn't come across in these larger films, or games, or anything really. anything disney, or nintendo.

and sure, you could say this is just because it's a smaller team. and im sure that's a contributing reason, no doubt. but the thing is, the contrast in worldviews between some of the more personalized large projects and the things curated to the tastes of the masses. take gravity falls for instance, a disney IP, but not one considered enough to bother curating at the time, just a show, not a film at the cinema. the style of cringe comedy it has, the way it tells stories and reveals mysteries, the absurdist view on the world it has, sure, it has a lot of people behind it, but a unique perspective on the world comes across well. the same with something like spiderverse, which is a big budget film, but damn did they know what they were doing.

and the unique perspectives disney films have on the world? well, they're there. there is kind of a difference, but it's barely as drastic. you can tell it was kept within tight confines, unwilling to present anything that the mainstream wouldnt easily comprehend, agree with, or find appealing.

and that's just so infuriatingly limiting. you can say it makes sense because the kind of person this is appealing to is like, the most common kind of person. that fact probably even plays a part in why these movies and other things are like this to begin with, though certainly not the only reason.

but do you not think the common person deserves more? deserves to be presented with things outside of their understanding? or comfort? i dont just interact with media that fits my own beliefs and perspective, yknow. because i think it's quite a good thing to do that.

i just, ughhhh. the mainstream bugs me so much. i dont even think a lot of these things are necessarily bad. encanto had good songs, inside out 2 dealt with issues of anxiety well within the limitations of mass appeal, turning red actually mentioned periods which was a small and good step outside the usual boundaries. but they just, they rub me the wrong way, yknow. they all do. most of the big live action hollywood movies too. same with many kinds of games, especially nintendo games. i just hate it, it's so limiting on our media, it's why i mostly just go with independent stuff, because that way i can see more unique individual styles, ideas, etc.

and yknow what? i do actually think they should maybe show a bit of blood on screen for these movies sometimes. and go beyond the concept of family friendliness. because all that stuff is a load of rubbish in my eyes. beliefs that got too out of hand and have so much wrong with them. yeah, i think we should pass those boundaries for big media meant for the mainstream. not with everything, but definitely with a lot of things.

this was just a random rant about something i hate that i wrote in one take, dont nitpick with any details you think im not 100% correct on please. this isn't supposed to be a perfect critique of mainstream media, this is just me venting. okay?

[etaindelaserna]

Can I ask your thoughts on this? https://www.tumblr.com/suku-in-red/768306562524758016/hello-can-i-ask-for-your-objective-opinion-on?source=share

As SukuIta shipper I find it kinda weird cause OP there is both Sukugo & Satosugu shipper but said that SukuIta is familial? Really? I never once saw SukuIta as familial, how about you? Also, have you ship Sukuna/Uraume even once (to me their relationship is only platonic)?

Let' see...

All the things OP lists here about SukuIta, which to them can be interpreted as "familial", are to me all the elements you need if you want to make the hero and the villain shippable: two sides of the same coin, clashes of ideals and world views, they make each other whole, they understand each others views. It's a trope you often see in the dark romance genre with f/m heroes and villains (Shadow and Bone for example) but I don't see it played out like this as often in the action or shounen genre, though I do think shounen has a tendency to introduce the hero and the villain in a more brother-like / brother in arms relationship before everything ends in tragedy (like Satosugu or NaruSasu).

The thing is: at least to me, SukuIta never felt like that -- not from the beginning and not even when Gege implied they are somewhat related through Jin Itadori (only to reveal later that they are related though Wasuke). Sukuna and Yuuji's relationship was characterized by being opposites, that's true. But since Yuuji was able to control Sukuna within his body, there was also an element of destiny, of a soul connection of some sort AND that always has a very romantic undertone to it or at least an undertone that exceeds brotherly or familial love. It just doesn't have the same intensity to it. From a writing standpoint Gege needed a very good reason why some random kid like Yuuji was able to be the vessel of the greatest jujutsu sorcerer that has ever lived and tying that somehow into the twin theory seemed on paper like a good idea. I think it cheapened the meaning of their soul connection and personally, I would've been fine, if the only explanation was that Yuuji just has the same potential as Sukuna and that's it. No strange family connection. Yuuji was born as Sukuna's equal. End of story.

Satosugu actually has a similar intensity like SukuIta, so I do understand the appeal of that ship. To me, what they have is also neither a familial nor a strictly romantic bond either. It's just MORE than that and although my shipper heart wants to see every interaction between Sukuna and Yuuji as a romantic one, the logical part of my brain also enjoys that what they had was a connection and that goes beyond familial or romantic love.

I have never shipped Sukuna with Uraume. They have a pretty forward, solid friendship going on and I never questioned it. There isn't enough longing or soul gazing atmosphere between them to make that happen. They are coded more like two besties who have been together since the dawn of time and who steal some horses together.

I don't think it's weird if people think of SukuIta having more of a familial bond, but I just don't see or feel it. I've read to much romance novels and watched too many war movies to think of what they have as just a familial bond.

[mpsansy]

you put me in a casper the friendly ghost hyperfixation and i’ve literally only seen like one movie in my entire life!! /notmad you and your tiktoks got me so interested i had to find your tumblr to get more info!!

anyway i’ve walked out of reading up all of your info for your casper stuff and seen all your art and i would love to see/hear more abt stinkie i think he’s my favourite!

Gosh I don’t know how much more of these kind words I can take (please don’t stop, I’m seriously so happy and appreciative for all the love!!!!)

And not to worry, most people have only seen the 1995 movie. Which honestly, that’s the backbone of my version. The only thing I took out is the love interest… by putting someone else in it (Casper and Wendy). But that ain’t important right now. It’s more like a nice addition later on, like a dessert at a big ol’ dinner. Right now, I’m trying to get to the fine delicacies that is all of Casper’s family members. Which frankly only consist of the following:

Stretch

Stinkie

Fatso

and

Echo (previously known as Elizabeth McFadden, aka: Casper’s mama!)

These four are the main important ones in Casper’s life. And even more so in death. Think I’ve explained how the mother could come back, but I’d have to dig it up. But to paraphrase what I said on it, I wanted the trio to go find her as she calls to them specifically. Saying that she’s not imaginary and that they know her. Wanting only to come home to her family and be with them once again.

And for that reason, they get serious about the whole thing once it clicks. Which to many already feels very strange. They’ve never been the serious type, but hey! That’s the appeal to them. Each one being unpredictable and spontaneous.

Speaking of uncle Stinkie, I have a small thing to share. I’m currently editing a fanfic of mine on Stinkie and Casper, but since you’re here asking. I want to make this known as it’s significant to him. That thing is that he loves the outside, more specifically the bugs that are out and about in nature. Gazing upon them is a thing he and Casper probably enjoy doing together.

Oh! And besides Fatso, Stinkie also plays games with Casper. The games usually consist of: playing catch, racing, and his personal favorite, how far they can spit. Casper has won more times now than poor old Stink here. But that’s okay. The boy’s embracing the beauty of nastiness. Making Stinkie so so proud of his little nephew.

Phew! Apologies, that must be a lot of info. I just can’t help myself.

[authoralexharvey]

INTERVIEW WITH A WRITEBLR — @theglitchywriterboi

Who You Are:

Sparrow Aiden || He/xe

I'm Sparrow Aiden, I'm genderfluid/a trans guy & bi & mixed. My current favorite book is Flesh Eater by Travis Riddle

What You Write:

What genres do you write in? What age ranges do you write for?

Fantasy, horror, and sci-fi. Young adult.

What genre would you write in for the rest of your life, if you could? What about that genre appeals to you?

Probably like fantasy. I just think it's really fun & you can make your own rules for the whole universe [which you can do for others ofc but still-]

What genre/s will you not write unless you HAVE to? What about that genre turns you off?

Romance. I write romance in my stories, but I don't think I could do that as the main focus, especially not smut [I respect it though, just very much not for me writing wise-]

Who is your target audience? Do you think anyone outside of that would get anything out of your works?

Queer people & queer POC. I think people outside those groups would still enjoy it, at least I hope !!!

What kind of themes do you tend to focus on? What kinds of tropes? What about them appeals to you?

I don't really normally have a theme in mind - maybe death is inevitable & we can't prevent it no matter how much power we have. Also friendship & shit.

What themes or tropes can you not stand? What about them turn you off?

The one character that's always bullied for no reason ??? Like Meg from Family Guy or Jerry from Parks & Rec. It's just needlessly mean, & at least in Jerry's case he is simply trying to be nice & not doing anything :(

What are you currently working on? How long have you been working on it?

A lot of things, but mostly Deaths Diner. I've been working on it since like 8th grade [so like 7ish years ??] & I'm still not close to done 😮‍💨. Second main WIP is The River By The Hotel & a few years but idk how many exactly. Not near as long as Deaths Diner though.

Why do you write? What keeps you writing?

I really enjoy writing !!! & I've always wanted to be published - not for money or anything [though money would be nice] but because it's one thing to sew it in a document, but a whole different thing to be able to hold it & have it impact other people. Plus I've always wanted to give people joy & if people get that from my writing that'd be very cool - even if it's only one person

How long have you been writing? What do you think first drew you to it?

Since I was little. But the first time I knew I WANTED to be a writer was when I was watching Doctor Who w/ my family & after the intro it said "Written by [whoever wrote that episode]" & I thought that was so cool !! Like someone wrote that & my family & I are interacting w/ it & enjoy it !! [& being a screenwriter would be cool, but it wasn't really for me environment wise so I turned towards writing stories/books & I liked reading anyway so-]

Where do you get your inspiration from? Is that how you got your inspiration for your current project? If not, where did the inspiration come from?

It mostly comes randomly, but anything tbh. Sometimes its from a movie or show, sometimes it's from a book, sometimes it's just a "Hey, wouldn’t a story about [X] be interesting haha… Wait that's actually amazing-". The inspiration for Deaths Diner actually came about through the latter. My brother jokingly said "Haha, we should have our own show" & me being a dumb 8th grader was like "WE SHOULD !!!" So I started scripting it. Then I realized our lives aren't interesting enough to have a show based off us, so I added ghosts, then one thing lead to another & long story short it's absolutely nothing like our lives [But I think it's still really cool-]. The inspiration for The River By The Hotel is also [very loosely] based off my life too. Basically as a kid my brother & I WOULD go to hotels to visit our mom & at one there were two kids. My brother & I did go over to the river area w/ them. The stuff that didn't happen was all thr paranormal monster stuff. [But that was brought on because when we went home my little brother told me he almost fell in, so I was like "What if he did & the river was actually a portal to another world ?"]

What work of yours are you most proud of? Why?

Probably Deaths Diner. I'm still on the first draft & while it's nowhere near done, I've worked so hard & long on it, it's like my baby. I can't wait to be finished w/ it though so I can start the second book in the series

Have you published anything? Do you want to?

I haven't yet. But I really want to !! Hoping to publish something this year or next year

What part of the publishing process most appeals to you? What part least appeals to you?

Most appealing is being able to get a physical copy of my book, because it's like "Yooo I did it !! I actually did it !!!". Least appealing is probably the critics. I know even the best books & the books I love have people that don't like them, but still. It's daunting publishing something you spent so much time on because of the thought people might despise it.

What part of the writing process most appeals to you? What part is least appealing?

The actual writing is most appealing, because its fun to write, the editing is least appealing. Mostly because I get in my head about the quality & get stuck trying to fix everything - even when there's nothing to fix [or nothing major]

Do you have a writing process? Do you have an ideal setup? Do you write in pure chaos? Talk about your process a bit.

Kinda chaos. I just write when I feel like it & I'm a bit of a pantser [maybe more like a plantser though] sometimes, especially w/ a series, I know the majors stops [like we start here, then this happens in the middle, then the end happens. But how I get there I don't know & even w/ the stuff I do know its like a loose idea.] but w/ stand-alones I normally don't know that. I have some scenes planned, but other than that I have zero idea how the book will end

Your Thoughts on Writeblr:

How long have you been a writeblr? What inspired you to join the community?

A few years now. I wanted to join to have a place to share my writing & to make friends w/ other writers

Shout out some of your favorite writeblrs. How did you find them and what made you want to follow them?

Aaaa this is so hard I really like all my writeblr mutuals/friends it's hard to pick but Uuuuuuhhh- @jezifster, @daisywords, @writing-is-a-martial-art, @athena-anna-rose, @penspiration-writing, @caligraphyzev, @writingpotato07, @writewithfire, @pen-of-roses, @e-lisard, @ashen-crest, @the-finch-address, @cryptid-s-wips, @chrismerle, & so many others !!! I don't know how I stumbled onto all of them, but they're all cool people & cool writers

What is your favorite part about writeblr?

The community & event

What do you think writeblr could improve on? How do you think we can go about doing so?

I don't know tbh

How do you contribute to the writeblr community? Do you think you could be doing more?

I think I could interact more. I'm very forgetful so sometimes I forget to reply to stuff or post things. I try to share others writing & stuff

What kinds of posts do you most like to interact with?

All kinds, other people's writing & short stories, peoples replies to tag games, etc

What kind of posts do you most like to make?

Updates about progress

Finally, anywhere else online we may be able to find you?

On twitter: @WriterGlitch & on Instagram: @TheGlitchyWriter [though I'm most active on tumblr]